Research Priorities

Research Priority

Goal for Priority

Effectiveness and Outcomes of School Nursing Practice

Build evidence of school nursing's contribution to education and health care, using existing data when possible

• school nursing and health services processes (interventions) and their association with student health and academic outcomes
• intermediate (proximal) student outcome measures that are sensitive to school nurse interventions
• system-level approaches to address community/public health issues
• school nurses’ ability to impact access to mental, behavioral, primary, and school-based chronic disease health care
• the collective impact of school nurse processes on health care spending

Funding for School Health

Secure sustainable funding so all students have access to a school nurse

• cost-benefit of alternative funding models (cost of obtaining school nurse outcomes and the processes to achieve them)
• role and value of school nurses in under-resourced rural and urban school settings
• impact of state legislation/policies and Medicaid funding on school nursing services and student health and academic outcomes

Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health

Address inequity and advocate for health equity

• the roles of school nurses in addressing health equity and reducing health disparities
• school nurse-involved/school nurse-led interventions that target disadvantaged student groups and reduce disparities among groups
• sustained health impact of interventions through longitudinal studies
• upstream policies, processes, and structural impediments that contribute to health disparities for children, families, and schools in day-to-day care and in emergency response

Implementation Science

Close the Knowing to Doing Gap

• strategies to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based practices, especially NASN toolkits and clinical practice guidelines
• school nurses’ utilization of national guidance (Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicators, CDC’s Health Impact in Five Years (HI-5) interventions, and others) to inform evidence-based practice or quality improvement projects

School Nursing Workforce and Work Environment

Optimize the school nursing workforce and work environment for student health and success

• the impetus for entry and exit from the specialty • effective recruitment and retainment of a diverse school nurse workforce
• school nursing infrastructure (nurse-to-student ratio, workload, quality onboarding for new school nurses, and state school nurse-specific policies) and its association with student health and academic outcomes
• the role school nurse leaders/administrators play in education leadership teams and decision-making
• the role of school administrators, district policy, and organizational support as facilitators to school health services and the well-being of school health services personnel

School Violence, Disasters, and Emergency Response

Ensure safe learning environments for students

• cost effectiveness of evidence-based disaster preparedness and public health initiatives
• best practices for and outcomes of school nurses’ involvement in school violence, disaster, and public health emergency prevention, preparedness, and emergency response
• school nurses’ contributions to interdisciplinary collaboration and leadership preparing for and responding to emergencies

School Well-Being

Identify and implement sustainable, effective interventions for overall school well-being

• the well-being of school nurses and school personnel using measures of physical, mental, social, and moral well-being
• interventions to address compassion fatigue, moral distress, workplace violence
• effects of mobile health technologies (use of digital devices to deliver health care and preventive health services) on school nurses’ well-being
• impact of personnel well-being on student well-being and ability to learn
• factors facilitating student and school personnel mental health and well-being
• evidence of the effectiveness of evidence-based universal and targeted school-based mental health initiatives (i.e., trauma-informed schools, multitiered systems of support, school climate)